Sideboard hate against Zoo while playing Grixis Delver
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on Aug. 21, 2018, 1:04 p.m. by mastermew
I am wondering, what are my side boarding options against Zoo? I am unsure what route I need to go to sb successfully against it. Help and or advice is appreciated. Thank you!
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #3
Anger of the Gods. Works wonders in my grixis delver deck The Angry Insect (Grixis Delver). No other card will be as effective. This is assuming that Delver of Secrets
Flip is your only 1 mana creature. If you're also playing something like Monastery Swiftspear, then Anger becomes a lot worse.
Also, which version of Zoo? If it's 8-whack then Anger all day long. If it's Naya Zoo with Noble Hierarch and Knight of the Reliquary, then I don't think I change much at all because the mainboard should be well-suited to beat that already.
August 21, 2018 1:37 p.m.
I should probably add my deck list.. oops.. Grixis Delver
August 21, 2018 2:19 p.m.
Just to add a little more info, I am talking about Naya Zoo with Coco and all that. I am not sure if I just didn't play correctly it was my first modern event and my first experience going up against it. but i just could not seem to get the wins on those matches. I have a feeling that I got mana-flooded one of the games but the others I'm not so sure.
August 21, 2018 2:38 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #6
I don't play Grixis and Anger is the more versatile card for sure but wanted to chime in and say Marrow Shards annihilates 8Wack
August 21, 2018 2:44 p.m.
SeekerofSecrets says... #7
Grixis Delver here's the correct link (I think, I found it under your deck lists), I always link the name found in the URL.
August 21, 2018 2:55 p.m.
VaultSkirge says... #9
I am a Zoo player and lately more people have been playing Big Zoo with KotR, Loxodon Smiter, and even Bloodbraid Elf. I haven’t played against Anger, but I’m sure it would work wonders against Zoo.
August 21, 2018 4:04 p.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #10
After looking up a few decklists, it doesn't seem like Big Zoo is running Tarmogoyf. This is good for Grixis. Because then they only have Loxodon Smiter and Knight of the Reliquary to be bigger than Anger of the Gods, and maybe some fringe like 1 Baneslayer Angel. I think I'd approach the matchup like 5 color humans, except that counterspells are still useful. Spell Snare especially.
It also looks like Bloodbraid is taking the spot of Collected Company. This is even better because I used to board in Dispel against Zoo because of Path to Exile and Collected Company. Now I will no longer look silly for drawing Dispel against their hand of all creatures.
With your deck, I'd venture to say it's less a problem of sideboarding and more a problem with mainboard tuning. Electrolyze and Forked Bolt line up very poorly against Zoo. Remand doesn't really do anything against them. They're all great cards vs Mardu Pyromancer, but I don't think I like them against most of modern right now.
I really like the Spellskites in your sideboard vs Zoo. Definitely board those in. They can sit in front of Wild Nacatl all game long until they redirect a Path to Exile from Gurmag Angler to themselves. I admit I don't like Spellskite vs the meta, but vs Zoo it's amazing.
August 21, 2018 5:35 p.m.
thank you ToolmasterOfBrainerd for the advice!
Yeah, I know Remand can be good as well as Electrolyze, but I am not sure if I want to keep the Forked Bolt. I am toying with the idea of a 3rd Terminate or a MB Dispel, possibly even 1 Logic Knot. I could maybe go 2 Logic Knots and go down a Mana Leak.
Pretty much what I am getting so far is that game 1 is a L to zoo when it comes to Grixis Delver.
August 22, 2018 8:09 a.m.
Another thing I wanted to note was that the other modern decks where I played was, Hallow one, Lantern control, Burn, Dredge, eldrazi tron, and storm.
August 22, 2018 8:12 a.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #13
Wait, did you manage to beat dredge, hollow one, or Eldrazi Tron? I rely heavily on anger of the gods to beat dredge and hollow one and usually lose game 1. I don't think I've ever beaten Eldrazi Tron in a match. I think I've taken them to game 3 once.
I think Grixis delver can beat zoo in game 1 without too much trouble. Terminate their big stuff, lightning bolt their small stuff, use Spell Snare on Voice of Resurgence, and ride a Gurmag Angler to victory. If they're on Bloodbraid elf, then they can't go bigger than gurmag angler and they don't have flying to stop a delver. You have kolaghan's command and snapcaster mage to gain card advantage. Removal spells are very good against zoo.
The zoo player can win if they beat you down before you stabilize or if they resolve path to exile. But if you can stay ahead on killing things then you should get to the late game and take over.
I highly recommend playing 1 or 2 Fatal Push. There are a few times when terminate is much better, but in a lot of matchups a 1 mana kill spell is priceless.
Mainboard dispel isn't good if you expect to face decks like hollow one, dredge, or humans. It's great vs path to exile and storm, but otherwise dead.
I've never liked logic knot in Grixis delver because it competes with tasigur for the graveyard. A lot of players will have Nihil Spellbomb or Relic of Progenitus post-board which makes casting a tasigur hard enough. Casting a tasigur and a logic knot will rarely be possible. Admittedly, I've never played with logic knot, but that's my expectation from experience with Grixis delver.
The other thing to consider is playing more lands. I like 20, but if you feel like you see enough lands playing 18, then keep doing that.
August 22, 2018 11:37 a.m.
I beat dredge 2/0. I lost to eldrazi tron 0/2 and I have played many games with Hallow one and I'd say I have about a 45% win rate
August 22, 2018 2:25 p.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #15
45% vs hollow one is actually really good. Better than I get. What are your standout cards in that matchup? How do you usually win?
0-2 vs Eldrazi Tron sounds about right. I think it's the matchup with the lowest possible win rate for Grixis delver.
August 22, 2018 11:40 p.m.
I basically always bolt the Flameblade Adept and Terminate the Gurmag Anglers Kolaghan's Command is really sweet for shocking the Flamewake Phoenix and destroying a Hollow One. I also try to Inquisition of Kozilek out a Goblin Lore or something of the sort.
SeekerofSecrets says... #2
Anger of the Gods and Thing in the Ice Flip are both pretty solid against zoo
August 21, 2018 1:29 p.m.